<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>whispered moonlight by sparkstoflames</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951593">whispered moonlight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkstoflames/pseuds/sparkstoflames'>sparkstoflames</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>under moonlight [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chandrila, Chandrila!Reader, Coruscant, Drabble Collection, F/M, Galas, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi deserves love, Post-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Reader Insert, Secret Relationship, Tatooine, Young Love, being in love, senatorial assistant!reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:42:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkstoflames/pseuds/sparkstoflames</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite his efforts, Obi-Wan Kenobi falls in love. And he's so happy to have ended up like this. His love story is broken, pieces missing, faded, and not always happy. But it's his. He will keep it with him as long as he can. He loves her, he'll repeat. </p><p>He loves her, he loves her, he loves her.</p><p>(collection of drabbles originally posted on tumblr. mostly in chronological order, centers around the relationship between obi and Chandrila!Reader, more work with them can be found on here)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi &amp; Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi/Reader, Padmé Amidala &amp; Obi-Wan Kenobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>under moonlight [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>112</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. rain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Obi-Wan Kenobi falls in love when it’s raining. Coruscant fills with the soft tap of rain drops on its buildings, the light reflecting in every puddle, sending colors scattering across the city.</p><p>It gives it a bit of a glow, he notices.</p><p>Well, to be more specific, he notices how it glows onto <em>her.</em></p><p>She’s standing out on her balcony, an awning just over her head. The rain falls in front of her, and she has her hood up, the one he’d first met her in. It’s thin enough that he can see the way the lights shine through it, and because of that, he can see her silhouette, just barely, through the fabric.</p><p>She holds her hand out, letting the water fall onto her fingers. It’s a simple gesture, one out of pure curiosity, but it makes Obi-Wan smile.</p><p>“It’s been a while since I’ve seen rain,” She comments, almost absently. Her hand bounces, ever so slightly, as the droplets hit her hand.</p><p>“It doesn’t rain often on Coruscant, but surely on Chandrila,” Obi-Wan trails off, watching as she takes her hand out of the way of the rain, drying it on the extra fabric of her hood before she turns to him.</p><p>“It rains all the time on Chandrila,” She replies. Her tone is light-hearted, but there’s something there. “I haven’t been on Chandrila much recently.”</p><p>“Do you miss it?” He asks.</p><p>Her quiet, melancholy laughter fills the space between them.</p><p>“Constantly.”</p><p>It’s then when she takes a few steps closer, until suddenly her head is leaning onto his chest, and he has arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders.</p><p>And here, he realizes for the first time, is where he wants to be. Not her balcony, not her quarters, not even Coruscant. He simply wants to be where she can find her way into his arms. He wants to be there whenever she may need him, and he always wants to be the person she can come to. Even if it’s just for a few moments of silence.</p><p>“You should return to Chandrila soon,” He says, his voice barely more than a whisper, “It’ll be good for you.”</p><p>When she replies, he notes, her voice is soft, fatigue dripping into it.</p><p>“Only if I can bring you,” She replies.</p><p>Obi-Wan thinks his heart stops.</p><p><em>Here, </em>he thinks, <em>This is home.</em></p><p>She moves away from him for just a moment, and he brings a hand up, letting her hood fall around her shoulders.</p><p>Obi-Wan Kenobi has never had a <em>true </em>home. The Jedi Temple is, of course, where he and many of the people he loves live. It is of course a place he could always return to, but Obi-Wan Kenobi never knew his home planet. He only knows Coruscant. He has only ever had homes that were tied to the Jedi, tied to someone else entirely, an identity that is not solely his own.</p><p>But here, with her.</p><p>This home is his. Only his.</p><p><em>The Jedi are not meant to have attachments, </em>he thinks.</p><p>Surely, this is breaking every rule he’s ever been taught. Surely, if he were to lose her he would forget every moment of teaching he’d ever had. Surely, this is a <em>terrible </em>idea.</p><p>But it’s his, is it not?</p><p>She’s his home.</p><p><em>Surely, </em>he thinks, <em>this must be love.</em></p><p>His hand comes up, resting on her cheek. She smiles up at him, letting herself fall into his touch.</p><p>“Obi-Wan,” She begins, but she’s cut off by her own laughter as he bends towards her, pressing kisses to her cheeks and neck.</p><p>Her laughter is warm, he notes.</p><p>“Obi-Wan,” She repeats, voice still mixed with laughter. She’s wrapped her arms around him now, and when she laughs like that, when her hands come up to mess with his hair, he can’t stop himself from saying it.</p><p>And so he comes up, lips next to her ear, and whispers.</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>There’s a few moments of silence between them, and all Obi-Wan can hear is the soft pour of the rain next to them.</p><p>“What?” He can hear the smile in her voice, and when he pulls away to look at her face, he finds he never wants to look away.</p><p>“I love you,” He repeats. He watches as her eyes flicker over his face, pink light finding its way onto her cheekbones and her lips.</p><p>Her smile widens.</p><p>“You beat me to it,” She says.</p><p>He laughs, his head falling forward.</p><p>“I was <em>trying</em> to tell you that but you wouldn’t stop <em>kissing </em>me,” She continues. Obi-Wan just smiles up at her.</p><p>“That was most <em>certainly </em>the plan.”</p><p>Another beat of silence. The rain falls down harder.</p><p>“So does that mean-“ Obi-Wan is cut off when she leans up, pressing her lips to his cheek.</p><p>“Yes,” She says. Her hand is in his hair. “I love you.”</p><p>Obi-Wan smiles down at her, and then watches as she glances towards the part of the balcony where the rain is hitting.</p><p>Without much warning, she pulls the two of them into the rain, her laughter seeming to make the city even brighter.</p><p>And while they stand there, out in the rain, both of them soaked, Obi-Wan pulls her close.</p><p>And for the first time, Obi-Wan kisses his <em>love.</em></p><p>Not <em>just</em> her.</p><p>Because now, on top of being <em>her</em>. She is his home. His <em>love</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. quiet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their love is quiet. It’s said softly, in whispers during the night. It’s said in Obi-Wan’s room, when the lights are low, when their laughter comes out in breaths, and when their fingers are intertwined.</p><p>And her laughter… Obi-Wan could go on for days about it. When it’s not here, sharing the space of the moonlight, it’s bright, loud, the type of laughter that makes you break into a smile and want to pull her in close. But here, it’s breathless. It’s low. It’s right next to his ear and when he hears it, it feels like home. Here, her laughter is like a soft hum. It makes you yearn for more.</p><p>Tonight, Obi-Wan holds her close. He has one arm wrapped around her, and one of her hands has come up to lightly play with his hair. The touch makes his eyes flutter shut, and every time they do, her laughter flows through the air.</p><p>“Obi,” She whispers, laughter still flowing past her lips, “If you need to sleep, just tell me. I can leave.”</p><p>He sighs, opening his eyes. She looks gorgeous like this, with the lights from Coruscant as her backlight, her eyes looking up at him so prettily. He pulls her closer.</p><p>“You know, you could stay.”</p><p>He feels her fingers move through his hair, coming down to lightly cup his jaw.</p><p>“You know I can’t.”</p><p>“Anakin would never know-“</p><p>“That boy is up and at your door by the time the sun has just barely touched the sky.”</p><p>His eyes fall over her face. He knows it’s true. He knows that, if she did stay, there’s always the possibility that Anakin would know.</p><p>“I don’t need to sleep,” He says. “I’m okay.”</p><p>Her thumb traces his cheek bone, her lips forming a soft smile as she watches him. She leans up, pressing her lips to his, and then to his cheek, and then to his temple. This time, it’s Obi-Wan’s sleepy laughter filling the air.</p><p>“I wish we had more time,” She says.</p><p>It feels as though they’re bound to the night. Destined to hold each other in the shadows. Whether it be on the hills of Chandrila, its two moons illuminating the river, or the many moons of Coruscant being drowned out by the city lights. Their love exists at night.</p><p>“We have the night,” Obi-Wan replies. She rolls her eyes, smile still present on her face.</p><p>“You’re always exhausted by nightfall,” She teases.</p><p>“Some of us have to teach a certain <em>Anakin Skywalker</em> all day.”</p><p>She shakes her head, “You know you love him.”</p><p>“I do,” Obi-Wan replies, “Despite how he’s giving me grey hairs-“</p><p>“Don’t you dare act like you’re getting old on me, Obi-Wan.”</p><p>He laughs, lightly.</p><p>“I’m not, love.” He takes a moment, grabbing the hand that isn’t in his hair, and presses a soft kiss to her knuckles. “We still have all the nights the galaxy can offer.”</p><p>“You are <em>such </em>a romantic,” She says.</p><p>And their laughter fills the room again, breathless, barely there, a quiet hum. She rests her head on his chest, then, moving her hand from his hair to his chest, choosing to trace patterns there.</p><p>They stay there, in the quiet of the night. Unknown to the rest of the world. Their love is quiet, bound to the moons and the stars, but it’s <em>theirs. </em>It’s full of whispers, of innocent touches and glances. It’s unknown yet entirely lovely. It’s theirs to enjoy, theirs to laugh about, theirs to savor.</p><p>And when Obi-Wan wakes the next day, only to find an empty bed, he still knows it exists. Even as the sun drowns his bed sheets, he knows the sound of her laughter in the night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. champagne</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Senate gatherings are nearly <em>unbearable. </em>For Obi-Wan, they used to mean polite politics, standing on guard for most of the night, and being overly self-conscious. Now, with the new addition of <em>her, </em>they mean getting distracted much too often.</p><p>Tonight, her dress is a sweet champagne. It flows elegantly behind her, sheer and sparkling with loose sleeves that make her seem like an apparition. And tonight, when Obi-Wan is supposed to be paying attention to a certain Bail Organa, the distraction feels like <em>torture.</em></p><p>He certainly has to consider the Senator’s lack of comments on the situation admirable. Obi-Wan knows he isn’t being exactly secretive. Her laugh makes his eyes flit in her direction, and the Senator’s smile widens when he notices. But he doesn’t say anything, just hides the smirk when Obi-Wan turns back to him.</p><p>But Obi-Wan notices the hidden smile. He’s just lucky Bail Organa doesn’t think it’s more than a fleeting crush.</p><p>If only he knew.</p><p>When Senator Organa dismisses himself to speak with a few other Senator’s, telling Obi-Wan he doesn’t have to follow, he stands near the edge of the room. He’s watching, observing, letting his eyes fall over the various senators and their advisors. His eyes eventually fall over her, and, of course, he finds himself unable to take them away. She’s speaking, brightly, with a few other advisors around her.</p><p>She’s like a center of light. He notices how she draws them in, and really, he can’t blame them. She does the same to him, every night, when she whispers in his ear and makes him lean in close.</p><p>Her gown glitters as the sun begins to set, orange hues mixing with champagne. Her eyes catch his for a moment, when the others have finally looked away, and she smiles, quietly motioning towards the upper balcony, away from the crowd. He watches as she says goodbyes to the others, her eyes flitting back to him between words.</p><p>It makes his heart ache.</p><p>And so he continues to watch, his eyes following as she travels up the stairs, a dress like starlight flowing behind her. She glances back, once, and opens the door to the balcony. It’s soon after that he follows.</p><p>He opens the door to find the sunset, darker in color than it was just moments before, enveloping her in all its beauty. The champagne of her dress has turned to a dusty pink thanks to the red tint of the sun, leaving her brightness to make for a beautiful contrast against the softness of the colors.</p><p>She’s watching the sun through the city lights, leaned over onto the balcony and her chin placed delicately in her hands. It’s a scene Obi-Wan wishes to keep forever.</p><p>“You’ve been staring,” She notes, not breaking her gaze from the skyline.</p><p>“How can I not?” He asks. He takes a step closer, leaning one arm on the edge of the balcony so he can <em>finally </em>see her face up close. She almost steals his breath.</p><p>She looks over at him, and her laughter blooms. It’s not the whisper of the night, yet not the brightness of the day. It’s something between, something beautiful, and something rare.</p><p>“You don’t have to look at me like <em>that,</em>” She says. His laughter matches her own. He moves closer as his laughter hits the air, letting himself be near enough for a whisper to pass between them.</p><p>“I believe,” Obi-Wan begins. He presses his lips to her temple. “I can look at you,” A kiss to her cheek, “Like you’ve put the stars in the sky,” To her jaw, “Whenever I’d like.” He pauses for a moment, letting their gazes meet, before he presses a kiss to her lips.</p><p>She pulls away, their foreheads still pressed together, eyes still closed.</p><p>“Not if it’ll get you in <em>trouble,</em>” She whispers, juvenile teasing coating her voice.</p><p>“Who’s to say I can’t misbehave every now and then?” Obi-Wan asks. He pulls away, taking her hand in his and lightly playing with her fingers.</p><p>“Oh, Obi-Wan,” She begins, “I wouldn’t fall for someone I thought couldn’t misbehave.”</p><p>His quiet laughter fills the air, and she’s quick to follow, their heads dipping together so close he can feel the way her body shakes as she laughs.</p><p>Above them, the first star of the night finally appears.</p><p>“You know,” She says, “I really can’t stand these events.”</p><p>“Is that so?” He teases.</p><p>She places her arms around his neck.</p><p>“You know I’ve never been a fan of the attention.”</p><p>“You’re quite good at hiding it,” Obi-Wan replies.</p><p>“<em>The point is,</em>” She says, voice riddled with laughter, “We should get out of here.”</p><p>With that, Obi-Wan simply nods, letting her pull him inside from the balcony, the two of them sneaking around until they finally reach his room.</p><p>Outside, the sky has become alight with stars.</p><p>Inside, the world has become but a whisper to them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. lovely</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For what seems like the first time in many rotations, she’s fallen asleep beside him. He’d come to Chandrila, the two of them hidden away in her new, high rise apartment near the core of Hanna City. Anakin had been taken by Master Yoda to assist in training some of the younglings, and for the first time, they were entirely alone.</p><p>Her breathing is steady. She’s laying on her stomach next to him, her arms wrapped around the pillow under her head, and her face turned towards him. Peaceful, quiet, lovely.</p><p>Laying next to her, he lets his fingertips trail over her back. He hums, quietly, enough to not disturb her, and just lets himself trace her skin.</p><p>Freckles dot her back, little star maps across her skin. He runs his fingers over them, tracing hyperspace lanes and asteroid belts.</p><p>In her sleep, she moves closer to him, bringing one of her arms out from the pillow to lay around his waist. He brings himself closer to her, and in response, she buries her head into his chest.</p><p>Here, in this apartment in Chandrila, Obi-Wan can feel the way love surrounds them. Because here, despite being more klicks than he can count away from home, he feels safe. He’s loved, his happiness only amplified by her presence. He wishes to hold her like this every night, to listen to the way her breath evens as she falls asleep for the rest of his nights.</p><p>He knows it’s not possible.</p><p>Oh how he wishes it were.</p><p>Here, the galaxy is peaceful. Quiet. Lovely.</p><p>Here, stars are found on the back of his love.</p><p>Here, time could pass by the millions and he would never notice.</p><p>She stirs, stretching, and then looks up at him. Her eyes meet his. They’re tired, but so bright. For a moment, he thinks he was wrong. That the stars don’t find their place on her skin but in her eyes.</p><p><em>Perhaps she is simply stardust</em>, he thinks.</p><p>“Go back to sleep, my love,” He whispers.</p><p>Her eyebrows furrow. “Obi.”</p><p>He hums a response, bringing a hand up to card through her hair.</p><p>“I love you,” She whispers, and then she’s holding him close again, burying her face into his neck.</p><p>In thousands of rotations, he never thought he’d see her like this, holding him so tightly, and him so happy to be held. He leans down.</p><p>“I love you more.”</p><p>“Impossible,” She replies. It’s muffled by his shoulder, but he laughs, quietly.</p><p>He waits in silence, letting her breathing settle once again. She’s fallen asleep, he knows. His fingers run across her skin, still that soothing touch. He’s not sure if he wants to fall asleep, if he wants to let this moment end.</p><p>She’s asleep, laying in his arms. Despite all odds, despite everything put in front of him, despite everything he’s been taught and despite every obstacle they had.</p><p><em>Nothing is truly impossible</em>, he thinks.</p><p>Then, thinking of her, he lets himself fall.</p><p>The next morning, he wakes to her playing with his hair, sunlight gracing her features and illuminating every bit of her beauty.</p><p><em>It’s peaceful</em>, he thinks, <em>and quiet, and lovely.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. flowing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her dress is sheer, an open back and material like stardust falling over her. Yet—despite the elegance of her gown—she doesn’t stay within the ornate walls of Theed Palace. She leaves, walking the streets of the city, heels clicking against the cool brick pathways.</p><p>The sun is long gone, the moons finding their places high in the sky. She’s guided by their light, fresh pools of their heavenly glow flowing through the streets.</p><p>She should feel unsafe, she should be keeping a careful watch of her back. But she knows he isn’t far behind, never is.</p><p>So when she does look back over her shoulder and sees him watching from a staircase, it isn’t a surprise.</p><p>His backdrop is the palace, lights from the ballroom leaving him to appear dim. Yet there’s a smile on his face—she can see it perfectly even in the dark.</p><p>She turns fully and crosses her arms at him, tilting her head as a smile works its way onto her face in return. Even from afar, she can see the way he ducks his head in laughter as he moves towards her. He crosses the pools of moonlight, his boots hitting against the bricks, until finally he stands before her, hair windswept and lips upturned.</p><p>“You shouldn’t walk alone out here, you know,” He says. Her eyes flit about, and then she takes a step closer to him, tilting her chin up to look at him.</p><p>“Was I ever alone?” She asks. His laughter is light, breaths of bliss more than anything. </p><p>“No,” He whispers, “I don’t suppose you ever were.”</p><p>The bright blues of his eyes look more grey in the night, but they look kind. They look over her face, falling from her eyes, to her lips, to her dress, and then back up again. Admiring freely.</p><p>Her hand comes up then, rings cool against his cheek at her touch. His hand comes up to her wrist, and then he turns, pressing his lips to her palm.</p><p>It’s rare to find a city as quiet as Theed. While Senators talk and drink in the palace, the city itself is undeniably<em> serene</em>. In this moment, it feels as though there are no other souls except for them, the only sounds their whispers and their shoes against the brick.</p><p>“I hear there’s a pretty lookout by the river,” She whispers. Obi-Wan’s eyebrows raise, a smirk coming onto his face.</p><p>“Now what reason could you possibly have to love rivers as much as you do?”</p><p>Her eyes narrow playfully and she whacks his chest with the back of her head. He laughs as he grabs her hand, holding it against his chest. He leans forward, his face mere centimeters from hers.</p><p>“I’m only joking,” He whispers, before pulling away and moving towards the lookout, her hand still in his, “You wanted to see the river, didn’t you?”</p><p>And so she lets him pull her along, until they come upon the cliff. The stone fountain in the middle offers a quiet trickle of water as it falls over the celestial statue. Obi-Wan lets go of her hand, moving to the railing. He rests his arms there, leaning over and watching.</p><p>She stays back for a moment, observing. Obi is basking in the heavenly glow of the moons, every bit of him alight with the cosmos.</p><p>He looks youthful again. If she’d known him as a padawan, before Qui-Gon’s death and before he took on the role of master, she imagines this is what he’d be like.</p><p>In the moonlight here, there seems to be only so much he can care about, only so much he can devote his time to.</p><p>It’s then when he looks over his shoulder at her, and then he opens his arm out to her, beckoning for her to join him.</p><p>The smile on his face is like no other. It’s not bright, not unbridled, it’s not from laughter—she sighs, happily—his smile is unconscious. It comes up to his eyes and leaves his lips in a permanent curve.</p><p>And so she moves into his arms, and he wraps them around her, his lips close to her skin. He presses them to her neck and shoulders, his hands wander the expanse of her exposed back. And throughout it all, she can feel the upward curve of his lips.</p><p>She savors it. Her hand may come up by her shoulder, letting her fingers fall into his hair as he kisses the juncture of her shoulder and neck, but mostly, she watches the river, allowing herself to feel his bliss through him.</p><p><em>Ever flowing</em>, she thinks, <em>ever moving.</em> The river is constant. Its waters carry with them memories of love, of loss, of life.</p><p>On Chandrila, they said that to share love by a river meant the love would be everlasting. That as long as the river flows, as long as the waters are brought to the seas, that love would carry on.</p><p>And just as on that first night, the river flows, and the moon shines over them.</p><p>And just as on that first night, what had been the beginnings of affection flowing between them has turned to love. Pure, ever flowing, ever lasting.</p><p>And she carries it with her, to every planet, to every heavenly body, to every moon and to every star. It flows.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. voices</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s rare to find Obi-Wan singing. She’s unsure if it’s because he doesn’t believe he <em>can </em>sing, of if it’s just something he likes to keep to himself, but neither of those change the fact that, when she first hears him sing, she swears it’s the sweetest thing she’s ever heard.</p><p>She first finds him when he’s on Chandrila. It’s late into the night, and she’s just come out of the refresher, her hair still wet, and large robes wrapped around her.</p><p>And Obi-Wan’s out on her balcony, leaning against the railing, singing something under his breath.</p><p>Despite his quiet nature, his voice floats through the apartment, a soft lullaby of sorts. His voice rises and falls with ease, smooth and sweet and it’s <em>lovely</em>. Undoubtedly so. It sounds like him in the best sense and she <em>loves</em> it. Beyond comprehension. </p><p>She’s quiet as she steps out onto the balcony. The wind catches in her robes, sending chills down her spine. She then simply leans against the door, careful not to disturb him, letting the smile move onto her face as she watches him, his back turned to her.</p><p>She doesn’t know what the song is. It sounds old, perhaps something from Senator Organa. He’s always playing music from his childhood on Alderaan in his office.</p><p>Obi-Wan stops singing after a few moments, and a silence settles out on the balcony.</p><p>“I know you’re there,” He says. She moves then, coming up behind him and letting her arms wrap around his waist, her head resting near his shoulder. One of his hands moves to cover hers. He’s warm, she notes.</p><p>“You have a pretty voice,” She comments. Obi-Wan lets soft laughter fall past his lips, and then he shakes his head.</p><p>“Certainly not as pretty as yours,” He replies. She moves her head, twisting so she can get a peak at his face to give him a look. He laughs when he sees her, and turns around in her arms, letting her head fall back to his chest. His arms wrap around her with ease.</p><p>“What’s the song?” She asks.</p><p>“I’m not sure. Something old from Alderaan, I believe.”</p><p>“I was right then,” She replies.</p><p>He laughs, angling his head down towards her.</p><p>“Were you now?”</p><p>She pulls away, lightly hitting his chest as her laughter fills the air.</p><p>“Don’t act so surprised.”</p><p>He simply smiles down at her, and she watches him, noticing the way the flickering lights of Hanna City settle on his face.</p><p>In the silence of the moment, she realizes that she almost misses his singing voice.</p><p>“Can you sing it again?” She asks.</p><p>And without another word, he pulls her in close, letting her head rest on his chest as his voice floats between them. They sway, ever so slightly, as the wind leaves them both with chills.</p><p>But no matter. She has Obi-Wan to keep her warm. And his voice leaves such a warmth in her heart, she’s sure she’d be fine even on Hoth. As long as he was there, his voice lulling her eyes shut and pulling her close.</p><p>Obi-Wan singing is still rare. It only happens on nights when he feels <em>truly </em>okay. It happens on nights when she’s there, when her laughter makes his heart soar and he feels as though nothing could ever stop these moments of happiness.</p><p>What she doesn’t know, is that he sings when she can’t hear. Specifically, when she’s fallen asleep beside him. His voice is so low that he can’t hit every note, and he’s distracted with tracing the freckles on her back, but he still sings.</p><p>(And that song, it’s a <em>love </em>song. Not that either of them know for sure, but they can feel it. And even if they can’t. They can feel their love just the same).</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. sunlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ever since the clone wars began, it’s been difficult to find a moment when <em>General Kenobi</em> can simply sit. In peace. With his love beside him.</p><p>So he makes those moments whenever he can. Even if it means he’s scrolling through his datapad, hologram in front of him, and mind flowing through battle strategies.</p><p>She’s sitting next to him, on a datapad of her own, scrolling through Senator Mothma’s various bill proposals and messages about the upcoming meeting with Senator Amidala.</p><p>Which, of course, is why <em>she’s </em>sitting in the guest quarters on Naboo, but Obi-Wan, on the other hand, is simply here upon <em>request.</em></p><p>She’d asked for him and Anakin to come to Naboo for <em>protection, </em>as if Naboo was a place that required that, but both of them were between missions, and their squadrons needed a well-deserved break, so they’d come to Naboo.</p><p>Anakin was <em>overly </em>joyed about the trip.</p><p>Obi-Wan couldn’t act like he was any different.</p><p>So Anakin’s with Senator Amidala, and Obi-Wan is… here. Simply happy to be by her side.</p><p>His eyes glance over at her every now and then. He notices how pretty she is like this, hair falling in front of her face as she reads, wearing her old clothes from Chandrila, the ones she’d worn late at night when they’d gone to the hills.</p><p>They’re loose, comfortable, <em>entirely </em>unfit for a Senatorial Advisor.</p><p>Yet perfectly fitting for her.</p><p>His gaze returns to the work in front of him, once again looking over the planet’s layout, when he hears her speak.</p><p>“Obi?” She says. Her voice is soft, a little gravelly from being quiet for so long, but so entirely <em>her. </em>Obi-Wan wonders what he’s become, to be so wrapped around her finger that even her <em>voice </em>makes his lips curl into a smile and his heart swell.</p><p>“Yes?” He replies, he sets the datapad to the side then.</p><p>“I’ve heard Naboo is beautiful out on the fields,” She says. He raises her eyebrows at her, and she continues. “We could go outside for a while, lay in the fields.”</p><p>Her voice trails off, her head tilting to the side as she looks at him, a smile forming on her lips. He sighs.</p><p>“We both have so much work to do, love.”</p><p>“Then we’ll take it with us,” She replies. She stands, grabbing his datapad so now she holds both of their work in their hands. She waves them in front of him, eyebrows raised as she looks down at him. It makes his breath come out as short laughter as he shakes his head.</p><p>“Okay,” He agrees, “But how do you expect to explain us leaving to anyone we see along the way?”</p><p>“It’s simple,” She says, she places their datapads in his hands before she shrugs on a jacket. “I demanded to go outside, and you—as my <em>protector</em>—have to join me.”</p><p>Obi-Wan laughs again, and hands her back her datapad as they happily walk outside, making their way towards the fields of Naboo.</p><hr/><p>The fields, Obi-Wan notes, are reminiscent of another time. Although there’s no river here—just a lake a few klicks away—and the moonlight has been replaced by bright sunlight, it still reminds him of those nights.</p><p>She’d been smart, and brought a blanket for them to lay on as they worked. Here, away from prying eyes, they thought it safe. So she let her head fall on his shoulder, and he’d let his fingers move to play with hers.</p><p>The sun was warm out here. On the walk, she’d made a comment that they’d both needed it anyway. He chose not to mention the recent appearance of freckles on his skin from the sun beating down on him on the battlefield.</p><p>Besides, the sunlight was a good look on her. It made her eyes brighter, her skin glow just a little softer. It was certainly better than any of the white lights they found indoors, and although the city lights of Coruscant painted her skin in pretty pinks and blues, he found that he preferred this.</p><p>Although, nothing could truly match the glow of the stars and the moons across her skin when she laid in his bed. But it was simply unfair to compare any moment to those. Those moments were simply heavenly in nature.</p><p>But here, now, with the sunlight on their skin, he felt more connected to life than he ever had before. He was doing schematics, making plans for <em>battle, </em>of all things, yet with her here, he felt like everything was okay.</p><p>With her, there is no war. He takes this time carefully, and oh so thankfully. Because in <em>General Kenobi’s </em>life, there is always war. There are always plans, and ranks, and next steps he has to take. But here, he’s <em>Obi, </em>and Obi only has his love beside him. Only has the fields of Naboo, and sunlight shining on his skin.</p><p>“Obi?” She speaks. His gaze falls to her. She takes his hand, holding on to him as though she’ll never let him leave. “I love you,” is all she whispers.</p><p>Obi-Wan smiles, and then leans down to press his lips to the top of her head.</p><p>“I love you more,” He whispers.</p><p>She just rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she lets it fall back onto his shoulder.</p><p>Here, he’s <em>Obi</em>. And here, he is loved like no other.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. songs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>draco</b> - even in the coldest of nights, your fiery passion keeps my heart warm</p><p>Tonight, she’s singing. It’s a rare occurrence when they get to spend dinners together, and while they roam around the kitchen, each doing their own tasks, she’s singing.</p><p>It’s bright, full of joy, a little bit of laughter mixed into her voice. Her hands brush against him whenever she passes, her song coming right next to his ear.</p><p>And Obi-Wan doesn’t know what the song means, or what it’s even <em>saying</em>, but he knows there’s a fire to it. It fits perfectly with her, and he can see her get the glint in her eyes even as she sings it, even as her voice flows angelically throughout her quarters.</p><p>“That song,” Obi-Wan begins, “What’s it mean?”</p><p>She stops, smile still apparent in her voice as she speaks, even though he isn’t turned to her.</p><p>“Not sure,” She says. “Luca and I used to sing it when we were working. I don’t know where he learned it but,” She turns, throwing some vegetables into a pot as she shrugs, “I guess it just stuck.”</p><p>Obi-Wan leans against the counter, watching her.</p><p>“It’s pretty. Reminds me of you,” He says.</p><p>“Well I’d sure hope so considering I’m the one <em>singing </em>it,” She replies, and Obi-Wan laughs, her following. She makes her way toward him to grab something, but he pulls her in, their faces just inches apart.</p><p>“No, I mean it sounds like you.”</p><p>“Once again, I <em>am </em>the one singing it-“</p><p>“No-“</p><p>But they both dissolve into laughter once more, her head falling to his chest. He wraps his arms around her, holding her close.</p><p>“I <em>mean,</em>” Obi-Wan begins again, “that it has a fire to it. It’s passionate. That’s why it reminds me of you.”</p><p>“I know,” She replies, “That’s why it reminds me of you.”</p><p>And Obi-Wan can only smile down at her. He presses a kiss to the top of her head, and she leans into his chest. They stay like that for just a few moments, both of them letting something pass between them that neither truly understands.</p><p>She pulls away, and looks up at him, smile gracing her lips.</p><p>“Now let me go before we ruin dinner,” She says, and he laughs as he opens his arms, watching as she rushes over to the pot to check on it.</p><p>That night, they hum the song together. Moonlight kisses her skin, and Obi-Wan trails it along her jawline while they dance around the room.</p><p>And as always, she has that fire to her. When she laughs, it’s bright and warm and filled with emotions that Obi-Wan can’t explain. She talks about her day, and something flickers in her eyes, something between excitement and ambition that he could watch all day.</p><p>And at night, when she kisses the scars along his neck and shoulders, that fire still burns. Although softer, that same warmth is still carried in it.</p><p>And he knows she feels that fire in him when his fingers trace along the bare skin of her back.</p><p>And they both feel the fire that burns between them. No matter where they are, it still radiates warmth. It’s a sign of home. A light in the darkness, a symbol of hope, and a desire for a future.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. devotion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s not often that he’s as reckless as this. The cut above his brow—one he’d earned from droid shrapnel—stings as he moves, making him wince, and then making the cut only hurt worse. Ventress had leaped away a few moments ago, but not before sending another quip his way accompanied by a deadly smirk.</p><p>His breath hitches as he tries to stand, his leg sending sharp pains from a vicious and frankly <em>unnecessary</em> move to get his feet out from under him.</p><p>The door behind him hisses open, and he turns, finding Anakin and Ahsoka at the ready, blue and green light from their respective sabers illuminating the now dark room—Ventress had managed to take out the light above him, sending shards cascading about them. Now, he can feel the stinging on his face and arms as he attempts to stand again, wincing more and then remembering the cut above his brow.</p><p>Anakin rushes to his side, grabbing his arm to help him get upright. Obi-Wan should consider him lucky that there’s a senate meeting right now, otherwise he thinks a certain Chandrilan might’ve had a few words to say if she saw him like this.</p><p>Luckily, it’s Anakin who’s pulling him to his feet, and Ahsoka who rushes over to help. As Obi-Wan puts weight onto his left leg, air rushes into his lungs and his eyes screw shut—for his own sake, he hopes it’s severe bruising.</p><p>“If I have to give Ventress anything, it’s that she’s got some kick to her,” He says. Anakin huffs out a laugh from beside him, shifting his shoulders so Obi-Wan can better lean on him rather than Ahsoka.</p><p>The three of them hobble out together, failed senatorial assassination attempt behind them, and continue to make their way through the halls of the Coruscant Senate Building. Obi-Wan tests putting his weight on his left leg as they walk, the sharp pain turning more into a bearable—although notable—ache as they move.</p><p>“You know, Master, we could’ve come to help earlier,” Anakin says. Obi-Wan lets laughter fall past his lips, more of a rushed breath than anything.</p><p>“I had it handled just fine,” He replies.</p><p>“Is that why we’re helping you walk? Because you had it <em>handled</em>?” Ahsoka quips back. He gaze turns from Anakin’s proud smirk to Ahsoka’s defiant eyes.</p><p><em>These two, </em>he thinks.</p><p>“It’s nothing some bacta won’t fix.” Anakin and Ahsoka make eye contact behind his shoulders. “Besides, Rex and Cody needed your help with the droids.” Silence settles as they continue on, they’re drawing closer to the 212th and 501st. Anakin breaks the silence to speak into his commlink, telling Rex that Kix needs to prepare to tend to a couple of lacerations and other injuries.</p><p>Finally, they come upon the two clone squadrons, Rex and Cody speak quietly to the side with a few senators and—</p><p>
  <em>damn.</em>
</p><p>Rex looks up to see their hobbling group, and calls over to Kix, who already has his supplies—just as ordered. And as Rex calls, <em>she </em>turns around, her eyes meeting first Ahsoka’s, and then his. He watches as her shoulders sag, her eyebrows furrow and her eyes fall down to his limp.</p><p>He can’t hear the way she sighs, but he can certainly feel it in her expression.</p><p>“You look like you’re doing well, General,” Kix says as Anakin helps Obi-Wan sit back against the wall. Obi-Wan shoots him a look, silently telling him <em>I can do it myself, </em>but Anakin continues, ignoring Obi-Wan to stifle laughter at Kix’s comment.</p><p>“I’m fine, Kix, thank you,” He replies.</p><p>“The blood on your face says otherwise,” Anakin retorts. Kix looks between them with raised eyebrows before getting to work, leaning forward to disinfect the cuts on Obi-Wan’s face. Obi’s eyes flick to the side, meeting <em>hers </em>for just a moment. With the threat of the assassination gone, Senators Organa, Amidala, and Mothma had left to go speak with the troops and, of course, she followed.</p><p>The senators speak in hushed tones with Cody, Rex, and Ahsoka, Anakin moving to join them, but her eyes stay trained on him. He tries to keep his glances at a minimum as Kix spreads some bacta over the less severe of his cuts, but he doubt it does much good. Kix has a smirk pricking at his lips, trying his best to keep it at bay, but Obi-Wan still notices it. Kix leans up again, carefully wrapping bandages around the one deeper laceration across his forehead.</p><p>“You’re gonna have to change these bandages later,” Kix says, and then lets his focus fall to Obi-Wan’s leg, where the pain has mostly dulled. He puts pressure on a few areas on his thigh—causing a few sharp intakes of breath on Obi’s end—feeling for any obvious breaks. Kix sighs as he sits back, letting his eyes scan over Obi-Wan once more. “You’re gonna be fine, but if that leg doesn’t feel any better by tomorrow—you know where to go.”</p><p>Obi-Wan nods. “Thanks again, Kix.”</p><p>Kix offers a curt nod and smile to Obi-Wan before gathering his supplies and heading back to his squadron. Obi-Wan notices how his shoulders relax as he approaches Jesse, a solid clap on the back his only greeting towards his brother.</p><p>He sees movement from his side, and turns his head to watch as <em>she </em>crouches down in front of him, taking the place of Kix. He furrows his brows at her for a moment, but she just shakes her head at him, letting her eyes fall over him slowly, examining his cuts and bruises.</p><p>“You need someone to take care of you tonight?” She asks. His eyes widen at the comment, quickly flicking to the other people in the room to make sure none of them heard. They’re all much too engrossed in their own conversations, he realizes, to make any note of them.</p><p>“Well,” He begins, finally letting himself relax, “I’m not going to turn down an offer like <em>that</em>.”</p><p>She laughs quietly, ducking her head. “Very well, <em>General</em> Kenobi.” She stands, letting her gaze linger on him for just a moment. “Don’t get into anymore trouble on the way to your quarters, alright?”</p><p>He chuckles, the noise barely above the sound of his breath. “I can’t make any promises.”</p><p>She rolls her eyes at him as she walks away, and he follows her with his gaze for just a moment. She blends back in with the senatorial crowd, finding her place next to Mon Mothma as they continue to speak with Anakin and Rex. His eyes catch with Ahsoka’s, and she smiles at him—then turning sympathetic as she eyes his bandages.</p><p>He’ll be fine soon, he knows. He’ll have <em>her</em> taking care of him.</p><hr/><p>The cool breeze on her Coruscant balcony feels refreshing against his skin. She’s inside, gathering new bandages and bacta for his forehead. His leg is starting to feel better, but as he leans against the balcony’s edge, he still finds himself favoring his right. He tests it again, putting his weight onto his left leg. It hurts, still makes him grimace a bit as he moves off of it, but it’s duller than it was before. He’ll take it.</p><p>Her footsteps are light as she moves outside, barely more of a sound than the soft pitter-patter rain tends to make on the duracrete here. He feels as her hand comes upon his shoulder, soft in her touch, moving up from his back and onto his arm.</p><p>“Sit.” Although her voice is delicate, there’s a feeling of commandment in it. He knows if she wanted to, she could command a room with ease, but here—there’s no need. He does as she says, moving away from the edge of the balcony and into the chair beside him.</p><p>She leans down as she stands between his legs, carefully unwrapping the bandage from around his forehead. He watches her expression, the slight purse of her lips, the knitting of her eyebrows—she doesn’t like seeing him like this.</p><p>“I’m sure you have other important things to do,” He says. Her eyes move down to his, narrowing ever so slightly. “I could take care of this myself, you know. No need to waste your time on my idiocy.”</p><p>She gives him a pointed look, and then fully unwraps his bandages, smearing some bacta onto his cut as she sighs.</p><p>“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I happen to <em>enjoy </em>my time spent with you.” She moves back for a moment as she grabs the bandages she’d placed next to them, playing with the ends. “If I could, I’d devote all of my nights to you.”</p><p><em>You practically have, </em>he thinks.</p><p>“But normally I’m not-“ He cuts himself off, closing his eyes and sighing.</p><p>“Not what?” She asks. She moves forward to rewrap his laceration.</p><p>“Helpless?” He’s not sure how he meant to finish that sentence, but that’s the only word that comes to mind. <em>Utterly helpless. </em>He feels broken, like there had been a pressure building on him and in those few moments, when he’d chosen to go after Ventress and leave Anakin and Ahsoka behind, that had been when the pressure finally got to be too much.</p><p>These injuries—every cut, every bruise—they’re all the lasting effects of him being torn apart at the seams by an explosion he hadn’t even known had been coming.</p><p>She finishes, and then crouches before him, taking both of his hands in hers as she looks up at him.</p><p>“Obi?” She whispers. He looks down at her, tossing a weak smile as his eyes come to meet hers.</p><p>“I just wish to protect them,” He whispers back. “Anakin and Ahsoka,“ he lets out a shaky breath, “they deserve much more than I can offer them but <em>god </em>if I’m not going to give everything I have.”</p><p>A silence settles between them, her eyes piercing and beautiful as Coruscant shines on next to them.</p><p>“And you,” He says, “I hope that I’m never holding you back, or making you regret, or-“</p><p>“Obi-Wan,” She begins, “I give you my time, my <em>devotion, </em>because I want to. If I wanted to go out there, be more than a senatorial assistant, I would’ve already done it. But this—“ she squeezes his hands, “<em>this </em>has been my dream since long before I knew you. The only thing that changed about my dream is that you’re in it.”</p><p>He pulls her up, lifting her into his lap to wrap his arms around her. She’s careful of his left leg, because she knows, <em>always </em>knows what’s hurting. Obi buries his nose into the crook of her neck, happily overwhelmed by the sweet scent of citrus in her hair, and she does the same, letting her chin rest upon his shoulder.</p><p>“And I don’t know about Anakin and Ahsoka,” She begins, lips next to his ear, “but I know they adore you, my love. If they knew that you were risking yourself for them,” She pulls away, forcing him to look her in the eye, “I can’t imagine their response would be purely thankful.”</p><p>Obi-Wan bows his head, closing his eyes for just moment. “You’re right.”</p><p>“I usually am,” She replies. His laughter is light as he gazes back up at her, and the smile on her face is sweet. “They—<em>we</em> all love you so much. We know you want to protect us, but every once in a while, let us protect and help <em>you</em>.”</p><p>His hands come up to cup her face, pushing pieces of hair out of the way. Her smile still pricks at her lips, and then he nods, and she moves forward, pressing her lips to his cheek, and then his nose, and then his lips.</p><p>And as she kisses him, smiling against him, hands light in his hair, he lets himself think freely.</p><p><em>He loves her</em>, he thinks. <em>He loves her, he loves her, he loves her.</em></p><p>And as she presses her lips to his cheek once more, he thinks something else. He’ll protect her, always. But in moments like these, he’ll let her be devoted to him. And just the same, he’ll devote every breath to her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. aspectabund</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>aspectabund</b> <em>- letting emotion show easily through the face or eyes</em></p><p>Secrecy comes with a price. In public events such as these, their love is whittled down to shared looks, eyes meeting from across the room, quiet stares as the other is distracted. And as they keep those moments to a minimum, she speaks quietly with Senator Amidala, each with a glass of champagne in their hand.</p><p>As they talk, her eyes flit to Obi-Wan. He’s laughing with Anakin, standing near the edge of the room, keeping watch as always. His eyes meet hers in that fleeting moment, and he smiles. To anyone else, it appears polite.</p><p>Her gaze comes back to Senator Amidala, who has a bit of a mischievous smile on her face.</p><p>“You knew Obi-Wan before you became an advisor, didn’t you?” She asks. She looks over her shoulder to where Anakin and Obi-Wan stand, there’s fondness in the Senator’s eyes, she notices.</p><p>“I did, yes. He was briefly on Chandrila and I offered him and Anakin a place to stay,” She replies.</p><p>“They’re good people.” The Senator turns back to her, and Senator Amidala—she smiles. “Obi-Wan is a very noble man, he needs more kindness in his life.”</p><p>“You’re right,” She begins, “Although I only knew him for a short time, he always exhibited such kindness. I do hope he knows how much we appreciated his help.”</p><p>The Senator’s eyes fall over her, some emotion in her face that she can’t quite read.</p><p>“I hope so as well,” She replies.</p><p>There’s something that passes between them. Familiarity, a shared connection. she isn’t sure she could place it, but whatever it is, it hangs in the silence between them.</p><p>“Do you know him well, Senator?” She asks.</p><p>“Please,” She says, “Call me Padmé.” She stops for a moment, and she turns, once again looking at Anakin and Obi-Wan. “He’s a good friend. I met him when I was very young.”</p><p>And as they stand there, both turned to look at Obi-Wan and Anakin, their gazes meet once more. Obi-Wan smiles at both her and Padmé, and Anakin soon follows. It’s all polite, meaning nothing more to any onlookers, but Obi-Wan’s gaze lingers for just a moment more on her, and it’s all she needs.</p><p>“He was kind then, as well,” Padmé continues.</p><p>Obi-Wan’s eyes meet hers again, and although he doesn’t have the normal softness in his eyes, isn’t able to express his usual love, there’s still something there.</p><p>“It’s been wonderful speaking to you, Senator-“</p><p>Padmé gives her a look, and the two of them laugh.</p><p>“<em>Padmé</em>,” She says, correcting herself, “It’s been nice, but I’m afraid it’s time I leave.”</p><p>And so, the two of them share their goodbyes, promising to meet again at the next event.</p><p>The moment she’s out of public eye, she turns, and finds Obi-Wan not far behind her. Here, his eyes are soft, unapologetic in the way the run over her. Her laughter is light, and although he maintains a safe distance away from her—just in case—she can feel his presence much stronger than before.</p><p>“What were you and Padmé talking about?” He asks. It’s nice to hear his voice again, even though they only spent a few hours apart. She had missed the way his voice sounded when it was quiet, entirely uninterrupted by others.</p><p>“Not much,” She replies as she unlocks the door to her quarters, “Just you.”</p><p>The door closes behind them, and the two of them are enveloped in a comfortable darkness. She can see the shape of his face, and her hands come up to cup his cheeks, her hands almost begging to be near him. As her eyes adjust to the darkness, she can see his eyes, and there’s that softness she’d missed.</p><p>“May I ask what exactly she said about me?”</p><p>His hands come to her waist, and his fingers are delicate against the skin of her back, exposed by her dress.</p><p>And in his touch, she can tell he loves her.</p><p>“Just that you deserve kindness,” She replies.</p><p>He laughs, then, his head dipping to the crook of her neck.</p><p>And in the way he moves closer, she can tell he loves her.</p><p>“You deserve more kindness than I do,” He whispers. His lips are close to her neck, and she feels as he presses a few, innocent kisses there.</p><p>And in the way he whispers, she can tell he loves her.</p><p>But most of all, when he pulls away, and her eyes have fully adjusted to the darkness, and she can see him perfectly despite the lack of light, she can tell he loves her.</p><p>Because now, in the comfortable darkness, far away from prying eyes, he lets himself admire her. His eyes flicker over her face, as though trying to memorize every imperfection.</p><p>And his eyes fall over her dress, taking in the pretty purples that compliment every part of her. Before finally, his gaze returns to her.</p><p>And as if he were taking a breath, he lets out the three words she already knows. As simple and as needed as breathing, as natural as the rivers flowing on Chandrila, he loves her.</p><p>And when she looks into his eyes, when she feels his fingers against her skin, she knows it’s true.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. ruinion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been many months since he’s last seen her. He’s passed many moons, slept amongst many stars, and still, every one of them reminded him of her. And of course, there were nights when he couldn’t sleep. On those nights, he simply wished for her to be next to him, her voice just a whisper in his ear and her touch just the brush of her fingers against his skin.</p><p>Living on a ship, it’s never easy. Going out to battle, unable to know if any word or any breath will be your last is—of course—terrifying. And after the many months of being away, he still remembers the last words she’d said to him before he left.</p><p><em>Come back to me, </em>she’d whispered, her lips next to his ear, the morning sun just beginning to shine through her curtains.</p><p>And as he left, het let the words repeat in his mind, until eventually, the sound of her voice was engrained there. If he thought enough, he could hear her laughter, could see her smile.</p><p>Those things, however small, brought him comfort.</p><p>And although now those memories feel as if they now only exist as phantoms—partially disappeared and systems away—they’re enough to lull him to sleep most nights.</p><p>And on days when that isn’t enough, when the toll of war is too much, he looks to the stars, and he remembers. He  remembers the freckles on her back, he remembers the sparks in his eyes, and he simply remembers this: <em>She is somewhere out there, made of stardust and love, she is out there.</em></p><p>And by getting through on those sentiments, he finds himself on the other side of the five months. There’s new scars on his back, new burns across his shoulders, and new memories he’d rather not think of, but soon enough he would be home. On Coruscant. With her.</p><p><em>Finally, </em>they’re being sent back. The aid had been successful, and he could <em>breathe.</em> And what a lovely thing that is. Anxiously waiting to see his love again, yet feeling as though any stress had finally been lifted.</p><p>And so he waits, eyes falling shut every now and then, and simply lets himself feel as the ship moved.</p><p>And when they finally land, when he can finally feel the buzzing energy of Coruscant around him, he feels his shoulders drop.</p><p>He’s finally okay.</p><p>He’s finally come back.</p><p>On the tarmac, he can see a small crowd of people waiting. Senator Mothma, Senator Organa, Padmé, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, and, of course, <em>her.</em> He tries to keep himself from letting his gaze settle on her for too long, instead focusing on the way Anakin and Ahsoka quietly bicker next to her.</p><p>He has to suppress his laughter, only letting the beginnings of a smile come upon his face. Of course, that smile becomes much harder to suppress when he finally lets his gaze drift to her.</p><p>She looks as beautiful as ever, her hair falling around her face, loose strands blowing as the wind catches them. She wears a black jumpsuit, dark enough to contrast Senator Mothma’s pure white, with a cape hanging gracefully off her shoulders, catching the wind almost as much as her hair.</p><p>He has to remind himself to keep walking, to look over at Senator Organa or Ahsoka because he <em>cannot </em>control the way his smile looks in this moment.</p><p>But then she speaks.</p><p>And it’s steady, her voice smooth and professional and <em>everything </em>he’s missed.</p><p>“General Kenobi,” She says, “It’s nice to see you again.”</p><p>His eyes look over at her once more, and there’s a smirk on her face, one that no one would notice if they didn’t know her, but of course, Obi-Wan <em>knows </em>her. More than most people.</p><p>“And you as well,” He replies. He bows his head, and then turns to Anakin.</p><p>“May I ask why I have a greeting party?” He asks.</p><p>Anakin laughs, Ahsoka grinning up at him. She really does admire him, Obi-Wan knows. He wonders if Anakin thinks the same of him.</p><p>“Your presence has been requested, along with ours, at a Senate meeting. You’ll be attending with Senator Mothma while Ahsoka, Rex, and I attend with Senator Organa and Senator Amidala.”</p><p>Obi-Wan’s eyes flick over to hers, and she offers him a smile, her eyes beginning to soften from their normal professional look.</p><p>“Well then, I suppose we should head off,” He says.</p><p>As they leave, Ahsoka slows to walk next to him.</p><p>“We’re all glad you’re back,” She says, her voice quiet, “I think Anakin missed you.”</p><p>“And you didn’t?” He replies, a smile plastered on his face.</p><p>“Oh, certainly not,” She retorts. But there’s a smirk on her face, and she bumps her shoulder with his before she walks ahead, returning to her spot next to Anakin.</p><p>And when he’s sure there are no longer eyes on him, he lets his gaze settle on his love. Simply watching as she walks, <em>dramatic</em> cape billowing behind her.</p><p>He notices the dots of white along her cape. Sparkling in the sun. He wonders if she realizes just how fitting that is.</p><hr/><p>It’s another late night when he finds himself sneaking into her quarters. He knocks three times, softly, and then she’s standing in front of him.</p><p>And here, Obi-Wan realizes, is where he can finally, truly, deeply <em>breathe</em>. There are no eyes on him, no one except them. It’s a peace that he hasn’t felt in months.</p><p>She pulls him inside, and before the door’s even closed, she’s got her arms wrapped around him, face buried into the crook of his neck.</p><p>“Obi,” She whispers, muffled by his robes, “I missed you so much.”</p><p>His arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer.</p><p>And that’s all she needs to know he feels the same. Without much other thought, she leads him towards her bed, letting them both lay for some much needed rest.</p><p>Obi-Wan sheds his robes, revealing the new scars that lay across his back, and he feels as her hand raises, delicate fingers coming up to trace them. And then he feels the weight shift in the bed, and she’s sitting behind him, her lips pressing kisses to his shoulders.</p><p>His hand finds hers, and he closes his eyes, allowing himself to be enveloped by the feeling of comfort and home and absolute <em>love </em>that surrounds him.</p><p>“I thought of you every night,” He whispers. She leans her head against his back.</p><p>“I thought of you too,” She replies.</p><p>Silence hangs between them. He can feel her breathing against him, can feel the kiss of her lashes against his skin.</p><p>“When all of this is over,” He says, “Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”</p><p>“No,” She says, “You’ll stay here on Coruscant, and I’ll find a place here with some Senator.” She pauses, letting her hand run up and down his arm. “You’ll stay with the Jedi.”</p><p>“I don’t want to leave you like that again,” He replies.</p><p>She presses a kiss to his shoulder once more.</p><p>“I know, my love. You won’t.” Her arms wrap around him. “I’ll always be here.”</p><p>That night, when he looks out at the stars, he doesn’t have to think of her, yet he does anyway. Her head lays next to him, her arm thrown lazily across his chest, yet he still thinks of her laugh as he looks out at the stars.</p><p>He doesn’t know if that habit will ever end. Some part of him hopes it doesn’t. The stars are a constant reminder of who she is. Her brightness, her beauty, her ability to shine light onto others.</p><p>And there’s a wonder about her. He turns his gaze to where she is, sleeping soundly next to him.</p><p><em>I’ll always come back, </em>he thinks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. fighter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Obi-Wan is standing in front of her, the light from the star map illuminating his features. Both of them are on Coruscant, and on this night, Obi-Wan is standing in front of her, explaining battle strategies and letting planets cross over his face. He walks, letting his fingers brush various star systems, planets, even the stars themselves. She loves staring up at him when he’s like this.</p><p>It’s a bit fitting, to have Obi-Wan Kenobi standing amongst the stars.</p><p>And here’s a secret that no one knows except for her. In the dark of the night, when the moon is bright and the lights of Coruscant paint every surface is neon colors, Obi-Wan practices for his briefings.</p><p>Because Obi-Wan Kenobi gets <em>nervous.</em></p><p>He wouldn’t let anyone know. Not a soul besides her own would ever know that he practices, late at night, giving his little speeches to no one.</p><p>Or to her, if she’s there.</p><p>Because she could never make him nervous. Not anymore, at least. Now, she’s someone he can look at to steady his heartbeat. Someone who calms his mind. Even just the sound of her voice can pull him out of panic and back into a state of reality.</p><p>He is, of course, the same for her.</p><p>And so she watches him, as the light from the holomap spills across the room, mixing with Coruscant lights and leaving the two of them in a pretty, bright glow.</p><p>He’s incredible, she notes as she watches him. Intelligent in more ways than one. His voice is soft, but it holds a certain kind of power to it. It’s hypnotic, the way he speaks. Even the way he moves, it’s fluid. Natural. She’s enraptured by it. Every movement he makes only seems to heighten his celestial nature.</p><p>He truly does belong amongst the stars.</p><p>And here’s the thing: Obi-Wan Kenobi is no fighter. She knows that as fact. He’s someone who loves deeply, he strives for peace, he’s a <em>protector. </em>But oh heavens, he is a leader like no other.</p><p>Obi-Wan Kenobi—<em>General</em> Kenobi—is passionate. He fights for the sake of loving another day. He fights because he wants a better future, one where he can love freely and openly as well as everyone else in the galaxy. Then, and only then, will he finally be able to rest.</p><p>She knows this because he whispers it to her late at night. When he thinks she’s fast asleep, but his fingers still run up and down her back, he whispers.</p><p>He isn’t fearful of a poor future. He knows that, one day, there will be a future filled with joy. He is simply hopeful it comes in his lifetime.</p><p>He is especially hopeful that when it <em>does </em>come, she will be there with him.</p><p>Her thoughts are interrupted by his gaze falling on her. She’s smiling, she notices, and when his eyes meet hers, a smile falls over his features as well. He says a few final words, and then moves to switch off the holomap, before he finally turns to her.</p><p>“Well?” He asks.</p><p>She smiles, and then raises her arms, beckoning him to come join her on the couch. He laughs, and then, soon enough, they’re tangled together. Her head on his chest, him resting against the couch’s arm.</p><p>(Without much thought, his fingers are tracing up and down the bare skin of her arm. It’s comforting).</p><p>“You know you’re incredible, right?” She says.</p><p>Obi-Wan laughs.</p><p>“I wouldn’t say <em>incredible.”</em></p><p>She turns, so she can move her hand up to cup his jaw.</p><p>“Obi, I mean it.”</p><p>He furrows his eyebrows, tilting his head at her.</p><p>“What’s gotten into you?” He asks.</p><p>She moves, sitting up so she can move into his lap, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. He watches her with a certain curiosity in his eyes, his hands going to her waist without another thought.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, I swear, I see you up there and I’m just-“ She pauses, moving one of her hands to his face again, “I’m just really proud of you.”</p><p>He smiles up at her, she can see the beginning of tears forming in his eyes. And then, without much warning, he just pulls her closer. She laughs in surprise, but soon enough her laugh becomes muffled against his shoulder.</p><p>“You are the absolute love of my life,” He whispers. It’s muffled, but she hears it all the same.</p><p>She pulls away, smiling at him. His eyes are soft, any suggestion of tears long gone, but they’re still soft and lovely all the same.</p><p>“And you’re mine,” She says. Obi-Wan lets out a breath of laughter, something more along the lines of unexplainable joy than humor.</p><p>And as she thought before, Obi-Wan Kenobi is not a fighter. He is someone who loves deeply.</p><p>And oh how lucky she is to be the subject of that love.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. blind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ship is bright, a whiteness he’d never really minded before, but here… it seems a bit ironic. This ship will most likely be the last time he ever goes into space. After so many years of living on Coruscant, of fighting wars all across the galaxy, this feels like the strangest goodbye.</p><p>White is meant to represent safety, rebirth, new beginnings.</p><p>Obi-Wan supposes that this could be a new beginning. But it’s not. Not really. This is the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The birth of Ben Kenobi. A goodbye to any life he once had.</p><p>Except for <em>her, </em>of course, and the tiny Skywalker in her arms. Luke’s fallen asleep, and she fawns over him. Her hair hangs down in front of her, blocking him from fully seeing her face, but from the way she hums to little Luke, he can tell she’s smiling.</p><p>But when they’d first boarded the ship, she still had tear stains on her cheeks. And he can’t get that image out of his head.</p><p>But then she saw Luke, and she smiled, held him close, and sung him to sleep.</p><p>Now, however, in the pure whiteness of the ship, with Luke asleep and her still preoccupied, Obi-Wan can’t help but think where everything went wrong.</p><p>He wonders if it was his own selfishness that drove Anakin to the dark side. He had preached the rules of the Jedi, had he not? And he couldn’t even follow them himself. He looks at his love in front of him. She leans back in the chair, eyes closed, lashes kissing her cheeks.</p><p>For a fleeting moment, he thinks of what he would have done if they had been in Anakin and Padmé’s position. Surely, Obi-Wan wouldn’t have turned as Anakin had, he <em>knows </em>he wouldn’t.</p><p>His eyes fall over her once more. She holds Luke so delicately, and there’s clearly so much benevolence and kindness within her.</p><p><em>No, </em>Obi-Wan thinks, <em>I couldn’t do what Anakin did.</em></p><p>She would never want that of him. For her, Obi-Wan would fight for a better future. Just as he did before.</p><p>Yet still, he wonders if his love for her had blinded him to Anakin’s struggles. If he had paid more attention, if he hadn’t been so <em>selfish </em>and put Anakin before himself. Maybe then he would’ve seen, and he could’ve stopped it all before it ever got to where it is now.</p><p>“You’re thinking.” Her voice breaks through the quiet hum of the ship. She’s looking at him now, head tilted, still holding Luke steadily in her arms.</p><p>Obi-Wan sighs, crossing his arms and forcing himself to give her a smile.</p><p>“You’ve always been perceptive,” He replies.</p><p>She doesn’t fall for his fake smile. She never has. She’s much too smart for that. She reaches a hand towards him, making a bridge over the threshold between them, and he takes it, gladly.</p><p>“My love,” She begins, “You are allowed to feel the loss of the Jedi.”</p><p>A weight settles in his chest, he holds her hand tighter, and she just squeezes his hand back, giving him a comforting smile.</p><p>“I am. I do. I just wonder if there was more I could’ve done,” He replies. Her eyebrows furrow, eye soft as she looks up at him. “Maybe I was too selfish, maybe I was blind-“</p><p>“Obi-Wan.” He looks up at her. Pieces of her hair have fallen into her face once more, but he can still see her eyes, still so caring and bright and <em>lovely. </em>“When will you realize that you deserve so much more than you believe?”</p><p>He stares at her, unmoving. Silence passes between them. As he looks upon her, the too-white lights of the ship reflecting upon her face, he realizes he will never again see the way the pink and blue lights of Coruscant settle upon her skin.</p><p>He will never again see the moonlight of Chandrila in her eyes.</p><p>“My love, listen to me.” She brings him back once more, her gaze on his. “You are a <em>good man. </em>You’ve done everything you could, and you are <em>still </em>doing more.”</p><p>In her arms, little Luke coos.</p><p>“You did what you could for Anakin,” She says. “Now, we both have to do what we can for Luke.”</p><p>“But if I couldn’t save Anakin, how can I save-“</p><p>“My love, it isn’t about saving anymore. It’s about teaching this child that he is loved <em>dearly</em>. And that loss is okay. Because that is something Anakin never knew.”</p><p>Obi-Wan squeezes her hand once more, letting a real, true smile pass over his face, even if it’s in the wake of sadness.</p><p>That sadness will always be carried with him. No matter how far he travels. He still holds the weight of Anakin’s fall upon his shoulders, still feels the death of every Jedi.</p><p>But not everything is coated in such sadness.</p><p>Although he will never again see the lights of Coruscant or the moons of Chandrila upon her face, he finds the twin suns of Tatooine to shine just as beautifully. There are times when the suns fall, and he sits with her outside, letting his eyes roam her face as the orange hues overtake her.</p><p>On Tatooine, he is unapologetically hers. Nothing selfish about it. And when his thoughts <em>do</em> consume him, she is always there, a hand in his hair, her lips on his cheek, her voice in his ear.</p><p>Whispering, always, <em>Obi-Wan. </em>Whispering, always, <em>Obi. </em>Whispering, always, <em>my love.</em></p><p>And as long as she whispers his name, Obi-Wan Kenobi will not die.</p><p>And then she whispers, only to him, <em>you are a good man</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. broken</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b><em>aries</em></b> - the protector of the helpless, the lost, and the scared. deliver me from this place, let your fire drive away my shadows</p>
<hr/><p>There are many nights on Tatooine when, despite the heat, Obi-Wan feels cold. There are nights when he is overcome by guilt, by thoughts of Anakin, of Ahsoka, of <em>Padmé. </em>He thinks of her often. She had no reason to become wrapped in this, no reason to die as she did.</p><p>He often thinks that, maybe, this is all his fault. If he’d been a <em>better </em>Master, would he have noticed Anakin’s fall? If he’d fought harder for Ahsoka’s freedom, would she have been able to save him?</p><p>If he had just <em>listened </em>to the Force, if he’d just been more observant, surely he would’ve known about the Chancellor’s allegiance.</p><p>Surely, he could’ve saved them.</p><p>Surely, if he’d been a better general, a better friend, a better teacher, he wouldn’t be here now.</p><p>Laying in bed, his love fast asleep next to him, he thinks of Luke. Luke deserves so much more than this, he knows. There’s not a day that passes when Obi-Wan doesn’t think of Leia, and how the two should’ve been given the chance to grow up together with their mother and father.</p><p>Padmé would’ve made a great mother, he knows. She would’ve brought Luke and Leia with her, when they were old enough, of course, to the Senate meetings. Although Luke is barely old enough to talk, Obi-Wan knows he has his mother in him. He would’ve loved it.</p><p>He has too much of that fiery blood. Too much passion and love in his family to <em>not</em> be enraptured by the idea of changing the world.</p><p>Or at least, Obi-Wan could’ve been certain of that in another life. A happier life.</p><p>He isn’t sure when the tears started to well in his eyes, but now he feels them as they fall silently down his cheeks.</p><p><em>This is my fault, </em>he thinks.</p><p>He thinks of the woman next to him, who chose to leave the life of her dreams to be with him in isolation.</p><p><em>This is my fault, </em>he thinks.</p><p>He thinks of all the clones, of Cody, especially, who were all used as pawns in something none of them could control. He should’ve listened. To Fives, to Tup. He should’ve tried to <em>help </em>them.</p><p>
  <em>This is my fault.</em>
</p><p>The Jedi are taught to not have emotions such as these. To keep them at bay. To overcome them. On this night, in the darkness of Tatooine, he can’t remember those teachings.</p><p>He lets a sob break out of him.</p><p>Next to him, she stirs, so he quiets himself, hoping that his uncontrollable breathing won’t be enough to-</p><p>She always knows.</p><p>Her eyes open, and he knows he must look like a mess. He never wanted her to see him like this, so completely <em>broken. </em>Obi-Wan Kenobi was not a man that was meant to be broken. He was meant to be solid, someone to lean on when you needed help, a man who would never fall.</p><p>“Obi-“ Her voice is delicate as she shifts. She sits up, and without much thought, he does the same, letting the sheets pool in their laps. Her hands come up to cup his cheeks, thumbs wiping away tears.</p><p>Her hands are warm against the cold of his skin.</p><p>Her eyes flit about his face for a moment. They sit together in silence, but as she looks over him—even just for the few moments she does—Obi-Wan feels himself begin to calm.</p><p>“Obi,” She whispers again, “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”</p><p>He casts his eyes downward, her hands fall from his face to his hands, which sit motionless in his lap.</p><p>His voice is steady as his speaks, but low. Gravelly. <em>Broken.</em></p><p>“You shouldn’t be here,” He says.</p><p>“You <em>know </em>this is where I want to be,” She replies.</p><p>“No, I mean,” He pauses, holding back another sob, “None of us should be here.”</p><p>When he looks up again, her eyes are soft, her eyebrows furrowed. She raises one of her hands, pushing his hair away from his face. And then, she leans forward, bringing their foreheads together.</p><p>Without him saying another word, she answers his thoughts.</p><p>“This isn’t your fault,” She whispers.</p><p>Another sob breaks through him, and his head falls down to her shoulder. He can feel one of her hands in his hair, the other still holding one of his hands.</p><p>“Obi-Wan,” She says, “None of this is your fault. Palpatine took advantage of Anakin, he was the one who made Anakin turn. You did everything you could to stop it.”</p><p>“I should’ve done more,” He whispers.</p><p>She sighs, not of exhaustion, not of frustration, but of understanding.</p><p>She knows how he feels.</p><p>She’d known the Chancellor too, had met with him many times. She, too, had never imagined such darkness coming from him.</p><p>“Obi-Wan, I know that, wherever we may go, whatever our lives may become, your shadows will always follow you.”</p><p><em>Shadows, </em>he thinks. Anakin, Ahsoka, Padmé, <em>her </em>life before, all of them shadows. Darkness following him from a past life.</p><p>“But there is so much light here,” She says.</p><p>He pulls away, sitting back once more. Both of her hands return to his. They’re warm. A feeling of comfort he is beyond grateful to have.</p><p>“There is light in the way Luke smiles. There is light between us. There is light from our past lives that we <em>must </em>hold onto.”</p><p>She’s right, of course. Always is.</p><p>Whenever he visits to see Luke, his smile is like no other. So similar to Anakin’s was when he was a boy, not at all lacking the mischief from both Padmé and Anakin.</p><p>When he wakes up in the mornings, her by his side, there is light there. When her fingers trace his skin, when she counts the scars across his chest, leaving kisses along each one of them, there is light there.</p><p>When he thinks of his time with the Council, when he thinks of how Anakin loved Ahsoka, when he thinks of Qui-Gon, when he thinks of Chandrila, and Naboo, and Coruscant, there is light there.</p><p>And of course, he still has her. He always will. She will always exist to drive out the shadows.</p><p>So he nods, and they both lay back down in their bed. He pulls her close, determined to never let her go.</p><p>His eyes are still red from tears, his throat still raw from sobs, but even still, he knows this:</p><p>Even in the darkness of Tatooine, there is light here, and it exists beside him, eyes falling shut, a former Senatorial Advisor from Chandrila. </p><p>When he falls asleep, he dreams of her.</p><p>And of course, she is warmth. She is a fire, a source of life and love and <em>hope</em>. </p><p>She is his light.</p><p>And always, he hopes he is hers.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>